Practicing Prevention

After Tedeschi Food Shops implemented a quarterly preventative-maintenance program for its foodservice equipment, the chain reaped savings of about 20% in repair and maintenance costs in 2009 over 2007.

Energy expenditure and lost sales decreased, repair costs dropped, service calls fell, spoilage virtually disappeared and there were no unavailable products. Employees were also happier, no longer having to inform customers there was no refrigerated food and beverages.

Six years ago, the Rockland, Mass.-based retailer worked with two of its longtime contractors and came up with a quarterly preventative-maintenance schedule. Now, every three months, contractors spend three or four hours in each store checking every piece of equipment.

The financial savings have been significant, but there’s more to the equation. “Even if costs were even, the fact of the stores not being impeded [by broken equipment] is worth money,” says Stone. “It makes a lot more sense to fix something before it breaks. If something’s working right, you don’t see it; and if it’s not, it’s all over you.”

A stitch in time saves nine: Grandmothers say it frequently, but there’s more than a kernel of truth in that cliche. Yet many convenience operators don’t conduct preventative maintenance on their foodservice equipment. But equipment that’s cared for will last longer, be more efficient and cheaper to run, have less downtime, and be less likely to cause foodborne-illness outbreaks.